Time control of fuel injection for internal-combustion engines



Dec. 4, 1928.

E. L. LOWE TIME CONTROL OF FUEL INJECTION FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Nov. 30. 1926 preferred by me, since the same has been Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. LOWE, OF PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO. 3'. CLUNE (30., OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

TIME CONTROL OF FUEL INJ'I'JC'JIION FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed November 30, 1926. Serial No. 151,638.

This invention, stated in its, broadest terms, relates to the control of fuel injection to the burners of internal combustion engines as of the general type, suchas for instance isdisclosed in Letters Patent granted to me Nos. 1,443,187; 1,450,691; 1,462,514; and 1,454,972. In internal combustion engines of the character under consideration it'is desirablev and essential that efficient time control of fuel injection be provided.

The leading object of the present invention resides in the provision of novel means of time control of fuel injection which is of simple, practical, efficient, and comparatively inexpensive construction and in which the time control maybe adjusted in such manner as to determine the injection of the fuel charge atv any desired positionof the piston reckoned from the upper end of its stroke and indetailed manner to be more. fully set forth.

Other and further objects of the present invention reside in the provision of novel fea tures of construction and arrangement and combination of parts for attaining the results sought by the leading object.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1, is a lon itudinal section partly in elevation illustratlng atime control of fuel injection embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is a fragmentary view in vertical section of the cam'operated arts coacting with the cams'located at the right hand side of Fig.1;and

Fig. 3, is a horizontal sectional view partly in elevation taken upon the line 3-3 of" Fig.2. 1 i V 7 For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawvings one form thereof which is at present found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which my invention consistscan be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the in'strumentalities as herein'shownand described.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates housing members which rotatably support, as by ball bearings 2, a longitudinally arranged tubular shaft 3, which has mounted thereon as at the right hand end a pair of cams 4, best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, it being understood that said cams are positioned within the housing members 1. The cams 4 are arranged to coact with rollers 5, carried by pivotally supported members 6 for vertically reciprocating pump plungers 7. The parts 5, 6 and 7 are not shown in Fig. 1, but are clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The purpose of the pump plunger 7 is to force the fuel to the burner (not shown).

It is the purpose and object of the present invention to effect the control or timing of the verticall reciprocating pump plungers 7 and the fo lowing description will be re stricted to the timing mechanism which is of the essence of the present invention. Carried by the opposed ends of the hollow shafts 3 and arranged exteriorly with respect thereto and in concentric or telescoping relation therewith is a. longitudinally arranged endwise shiftable carrier shaft or member 8, which is relatively locked with respect to the hollow shafts 3 as by keys 9, so as to rotate with said shaft but said carrier shaft 8 is movable longitudinally with respect to said shafts 3, by reason of the slotted portions 10,

as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This key in slotted arrangement is what is known as a Woodwiththe members 12," so that access may be readily had to the interior of the housing 13.

Carried by the solid part 11 of the carrier shaft 8 is a spiral gear 16 in mesh with a companion. ear17 carried by a shaft 18, motion to whie is-imparted from the engine shaft so that it has a continuous rotary movement therewith. This continuous rotary movement is in turn imparted to the hollow shaft 3, so that'the cams 4 are continuously reciprocating the pump pistons or lungers 7. In the operation of internal com ustion engines under conditions of'varying load ands eed, it is essential that means be provide for nected thereto and which carry a centrally arvarying, under control, the instant of full injection relative to the position of the piston sired by causin the gear 16 to be shifted so as to engagewit different longitudinal parts of the gear 17. This I accomplish by shifting end-wise the carrier shaft 8 with respect to the hollow shafts 3 by means of a push and pull rod 19 fixed to the solid part 11 of the carrier shaft 8 by means of a screwed connection and transverse pin 20, which passes through the parts 11 and 19. This rod 19 may be moved longitudinally either by hand or automatically through the instrumentality of a yoke or forked member 21, see the right hand side of Fig. 1. As the rod 19 and its hollow shaft 3 and carrier shaft 8 are shifted to the left or tothe might, it is apparent that air compression may occur between the housing sections 13 and the chambers 22 adjacent the solid body portion 11, and therefore air vents 23 are provided. h

To recapitulate, it is clear that the desired varying time relation between the movements of the shaft 18 and carrier shaft 8 may be effected by causing the spiralgear 16 to engage with difi'erent longitudinal arts of the companion spiral gear 17. In his manner the fuel char" e may be introduced at will over a range 0 pump piston or plunger movement varying from a little in advance of reaching dead centre to dead centreand as far beyond dead centre as may be desired, the object of the above described operation bein analogous to the advance and retard of spar in the ordinary explosion engine.

It will be understood that the pump pistons or plungers as 7 force the fuel to a burner (not shown) and the time of fuel injection relative to the position of the piston as seen in Fig. 2 will evidentl be determined by the time when the point 0 the cam 4 engages the roller 5 relative to the position of the engine piston 7.

It will now be apparent that I have devised p a novel and useful construction of time ,con-

trol of fuel injection for internal combustion engines which embodies the features of advantage enumeratedas desirable in the state- 'ment of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred einbodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable. results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in 7 various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus desc'ri'bedimydnvention what I claim as new and desire tcrs Patent, is:

1. In a timing control of the character stated, a hollow cam shaft, a cam mounted upon said shaft, a sleeve movable longitudito secure by Let-- nally of said cam shaft, a spiral gear fixed thereto, a constantlyloperatingshaft,actucam shaft, a cam mounted upon said shaft for actuating said piston, rollers intermediate said piston and sa1d cam, a rod movable longitudinally within said cam shaft, a spiral gear fixed thereto, a constantlly operating shaft, a spiral gear thereon for meshing with said first mentioned spiral gear, and means connected'to said rod for moving said first mentioned spiral gear with respect to said second gear for changing the timing of said cam shaft.

3. In a timing control of the character stated, a. cam actuated pump piston, a horizontally arranged hollow cam shaft, a cam mounted upon saidshaft for actuating said piston, pivotally mounted rollers intermediate said piston and said cam, a carrier shaft keyed to rotate with but movable lonitudinally of said cam shaft, a spiral gear fixed thereto, a constantly operating shaft, a spiral gear thereon for meshing with said first mentioned spiral gear and means within saidhollow shaft for moving said first mentioned spiral gear with respect to said second shaft, a cam mounted upon said shaft for actuating said. piston, a member movable longitudinally of said cam shaft, a spiral gear fixed thereto, a constantly operating shaft, a spiral gear thereon for meshing with said first mentioned s iral-gear, and means within said cam shaft or moving said first mentioned spiral gear with respect to said second ear for changing the timing of said cam sha t.

5. In a timing control of the character stated, a cam actuated pump piston, a horizontally arranged cam shaft, a cam mounted upon said shaft for actuating said piston, a member movable longitudinally of said cam shaft, said member having a central portion provided with air ports communicating with said housing, a spiral gear fixed thereto, aconstantly operatings haft, and a s iral gear thereon for meshing with said rst mentioned spiral gear with respect to said second gear for changing the timing of said cam shaft. 4

6. Ina timing control of the character stated, a cam actuated pump piston, a horizontally arranged cam shaft, a cam mounted upon said shaft foractuating said valve stem, a carrier shaft movable longitudinally of said cam shaft, said carrier 'shafthaving a central parts together.

portion provided with air ports communicating with said housing, a spiral gear fixed theret0,a constantly operating shaft, a spiral gear thereon for meshing with said first mentioned 'spiral g'ear, means for moving said first mentioned spiral gear with respect to said second gear for changing the timing of said cam shaft, and a transverse pin common to said central portionand the inner end of said gear shifting means for securing said EDWARD L. LOWE. 

